Dishwashing tool



Aug. 21, 1956 M. A. FERRARI 2,759,209

. DISHWASHING TOOL Filed July 8, 1955 INVENTOR. Rmmy mtg M/CHAEL ,4, P59949# MNR@ ATTOIQ/VEYS nited States Patent() DISHWASHING TOOL Michael A. Ferrari, Detroit, Mich. Application July 8, 1955, Serial No. 520,890

3 Claims. (Cl. 15-128) .This invention, a manually grasped tool for washing dishes, pots, etc., may be summarized briey as including a length of flexible tubing connectible at one end to a faucet or other source of water under pressure and having at its other end a flared, thickened head. Connectible to the flared head is a specially formed dish engaging covering formed of a soft fabric or other material of a mesh sufficient to make the same readily pervious to water discharged from the tubular portion of the device, so that the surface of a dish may be swiftly washed with the cover in contact therewith, simultaneously with the forcing of water under pressure through the material f the covering against the surface of the dish.

The main Object of the present invention is to provide a generally improved dishwashing tool as described, and

among more specific objects are to provide a covering f especially well adapted for controlling the steady discharge of water under pressure against the surface of the dish and for, at the same time, swiftly cleaning the dish surface; to provide a covering as stated that will be designed in such a manner as to incorporate in the same a maximum number of different surfaces that will be adapted to contact the surface of the dish, in a comparatively small overall area of the covering; to facilitate the attachment and detachment of the covering in respect to the rest of the device; to form the covering in such a manner that it will be largely self cleaning; and to form the covering in a manner that will facilitate its rapid drying.

Gther objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the dish-washing tool in which a portion of the tubing has been broken away;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the tool as seen from the left of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the covering removed from the remaining portion of the tool and opened up for drying.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the device includes a length of fiexible rubber hose or tubing having a constant diameter bore 12 and formed at the inlet end of the bore with an externally flared end portion 14 terminating at its larger end in a circumferential bead 16 and adapted to be frictionally engaged over a conventional sink faucet, not shown. A coil spring 1S is circumposed about the tubing at the smaller end of portion 14, to strengthen the hose at a point where pronounced flexure is most likely to occur, and to provide a grip.

At its outlet end, tubing 10 is integrally formed with an elongated externally llared head 20 having a relatively low flexibility characteristic and imparting substantial weight, body, and strength to the hose at the outlet end thereof. Head 20 is formed at uniformly spaced loca- 2,759,209 Patented Aug. 21, 1956 tions along its length with external, circumferential ribs or beads 24 facilitating the gripping of the head, and at the smaller end of the head a coil spring 26 is circumposed about the tubing, for the same purpose as spring 18.

At the larger end of the head, a circumferential bead 28 is provided, and the head, at said larger end, has a flat end surface.

Engaged snugly in the outlet end of the device, and extending the length of the head and partially along the length of the tubing 10 is a tubular member 30 of brass or other non-corrosive rigid material, formed adjacent the flat end surface of head 20 with internal threads engaging external threads on a tubular plug or connector member 32 having at one end a circumferential outwardly directed shoulder 34 the outer face of which is flush with the end surface of head 20, and the inner face of which is spaced from the inner end wall of a counterbore 36 of bore 12. The periphery of the shoulder is correspondingly spaced inwardly from the side wall of the counterbore or recess 36, to define 1an undercut, annular recess about the shoulder 34 within the counterbore.

A removable covering 38 for the iiat end surface of the tapered head 20 is formed from a flexible, open mesh fabric, and when removed from the head, appears as in Figure 4, being formed to a circular outer configuration substantially greater in diameter than the diameter of the large end of head 20 and including a marginal portion 40, the periphery of which is provided with a tubular hem through which extends a tie 42, the ends of which project through closely spaced openings formed in the hem. Secured centrally to the covering is a circular cover piece 44 having a diameter substantially equal to that of the larger end of head 20 and formed over its entire area with rules increasing progressively in width and height in the direction from the center of the cover piece to the periphery thereof. The cover piece is also formed of an open mesh fabric, similar to the covering 33.

In use, the periphery of the covering 40 is engaged in the undercut recess, under the shoulder 34, and the tie 42 is drawn tight and the ends thereof secured to firmly attach the covering to the plug 32. This folds the marginal portion 40 under the center portion of the covering, as shown in Figure 2, forming the covering into a closed flattened, circular hollow member of a diameter substantially equal to that of the ruflied cover piece and of the larger end of the head 20.

The device is now ready for use, and with water flowing under pressure through bore 12, the head 20 is grasped and the ruffled cover piece held against the dish being cleaned. The dishes, of course, would be washed in a dishpan or sink containing hot water and soap, and with the food particles softened by the hot water and soap, and with water flowing under pressure through the tubing, the ruffled cover piece, when held against the surface of the dish and moved back and forth over said surface, will Wash the particles off the dish with minimum ditiiculty and with maximum speed, the dish being simultaneously rinsed, thus saving not only on soap and hot dishwater, but also on rinse water. The superposed thicknesses of the covering and ruffled cover piece hold the surface of the dish sufficiently away from the flat end surface of the head 20 to insure that the water owing under pressure will be controllably discharged at substantial velocity against the surface of the dish, over the full area of the head, and further, the use of a fully nuied area on the cover piece provides in the cover piece a maximum amount of dish engaging washing surface, in a minimum overall area of the cover piece.

When the dishwashing operation is completed, the tubing is detached from the faucet, and the tie 42 loosened permitting the covering 38 and the associated cover piece 44 to be removed from the head and opened ICC 3 as in Figure 4, thus permitting the rapid dryingv of said covering awaiting the next use thereof.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to' the specific use or uses thereof described above, sinee it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated anddescribed, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A dishwashing tool comprising a length of tubing adapted at one end for connection toA a source of water under pressure and terminating at its other end in an elongated liared head formed with" a substantially flat' end surface having a central opening through which the water is discharged under pressure; a tubular plug engaged in said opening of said head and including an outwardly directed circumferential shoulder substantially flush with the end surface of the head; a flexible covering formed of a material readily pervious to the passage of water overlying said end surface of the head and including means extending about the periphery thereof engageable removably under the shoulder of the plugr for connecting said covering to the head; and a cover piece' having a plurality of radial rufties, said cover piece being secured to the covering and being formed of a material similar to that of the covering.

2. A dishwashing tool comprising an elongated length of flexible tubing adapted at one end for connection to a source of water under pressure; a head on the other end of the tubing, said tubing opening upon one end of the head and said end of the head being formed with a flat surface, a tubular plug engaged in said opening of the head with its outer end substantially iiush with said iiat surface of the head, said plug including at said outer end thereofL an outwardly directed circumferential shoulder; a fabric covering of open mesh material having acircular outer configuration and including a marginal portion. and a center portion, said marginal portion of the covering being folded under the center portion and including means at its periphery engageable under the shoulder of the plug; and a cover piece having a diameter substantially equal to that of said surface of the head and secured to the covering in overlying relation to the center portion, said cover piece including over its` entire area a series of radially extending ruiiies and being formed from a material readily pervious to the passage of water.

3. A dishwashing. tool comprising an elongated length of iexible tubing adapted at one end for connection to a source of Water under pressure; a head on the other end of the tubing, said tubing opening upon one end of the head and said end of the head being formed with a flat surface, a tubular plug engaged in said opening of the head with its outer end substantially liush with said flat surface of the head, said plug including at said outer end thereof an outwardly directed circumferential shoulder; a fabric covering of open mesh material having a circular outer configuration and including a marginal portion and a center portion, said marginal portion of the covering being folded under the center portion and including means at its periphery engageable under the shoulder of the plug; and a cover piece having a diameter substantially equal to that of said surface of the head and secured to the covering in overlying relation to the center portion, said cover piece including over its entire area a series of radially extending ruiiies and being formed from a material readily pervious to the passage of water, said radial ruflies being increased progressively in height and width ina direction from the center of the cover piece to the periphery thereof.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,316,326 Garin Apr. 13, 1943 2,564,031 Rich Aug. 14, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,741 Great Britain of 1913 

